Daily Archives: April 9, 2025

Emu Valley Bushland Reserve VKFF-4969

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Our final activation for 27th October 2024 was the Emu Valley Bushland Reserve VKFF-4969, which is located about 10 km southeast of Bendigo.

Above:- Map showing the location of Emu Valley Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

On the way, we stopped to have a look at the Sedgwick Hall built in 1959. Sedwick is a small town and rural district that was known as Upper Emu Creek until 1903. It was renamed Sedgwick after British geologist Professor Adam Sedgwick.

The Emu Valley Bushland Reserve is located on the southern side of Schilling Lane, Emu Creek.

Above:- An aerial view of the reserve. Image c/o Google Earth.

Emu Creek consists of several creeks named after the flightless Australian bird, the Emu. The reserve is about 4 hectares in size and was established on the 26th day of February 2002. (Blake 1978) (CAPAD 2022)

We parked the car and walked into the park, which did not have any fencing. We ran the Yaesu FT857, 40 watts, and the 20/40/80m linked dipole. The 20m band on SSB was pretty much a wipeout due to a contest, and as a result, the QRM was very high.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3KLI/P (VKFF-5762)
  2. VK5NOU
  3. VK3IFR
  4. VK3TKU
  5. VK2IO/P (VKFF-0960)
  6. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0960)
  7. VK3PF/P (VKFF-4960)
  8. VK3BHR/P (VKFF-0960)
  9. VK4NH
  10. VK4DXA

Marija worked the following station on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK3PF/P (VKFF-2158)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK3KLI/P (VKFF-5762)
  2. VK5NOU
  3. VK3IFR
  4. VK3TKU
  5. VK2IO/P (VKFF-0960)
  6. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0960)
  7. VK3PF/P (VKFF-4960)
  8. VK3BHR/P (VKFF-0960)
  9. VK4NH
  10. VK4DXA
  11. VK3APJ
  12. VK3MGM
  13. VK3GJG
  14. VK3ABE
  15. VK3CEO
  16. VK3UP
  17. VK5HS
  18. VK7PJM
  19. VK3ZSC
  20. VK3FQSO
  21. VK2QR
  22. VK5WU
  23. VK1AO
  24. VK2MET
  25. VK5SPJ/M
  26. VK2VW
  27. VK2HFI
  28. VK2AKA
  29. VK2BUG
  30. VK3SQ
  31. VK2BD
  32. VK5AAY
  33. VK3DCQ
  34. VK3PWG
  35. VK5QA
  36. VK3CLD
  37. VK2DBF
  38. VK5MOS/M
  39. VK3ZMD
  40. VK7MAD
  41. VK2EXA/P
  42. VK3CWF
  43. VK3WRD
  44. VK3WSG
  45. VK3DJC

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK2VW
  2. VK2HFI
  3. VK2AKA
  4. VK2BUG
  5. VK4EW
  6. VK3PF/P (VKFF-2158)
  7. VK2IO/P (VKFF-0960)
  8. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-0960)

I worked the following stations on 20m FT8:-

  1. CT2HEX
  2. K3RH
  3. OK1WCF
  4. LY1CX
  5. WI0M
  6. RZ3AM
  7. EA5ASQ
  8. IZ8VYU
  9. EB3DIM
  10. KB6LQV
  11. IK4IDF
  12. OE9SKJ
  13. EA6ANX
  14. IU8PLP
  15. OH1MM
  16. VA7ZT
  17. KS6N

We packed up and headed back to the motel for a shower and then headed off to the historic Shamrock Hotel in Bendigo for an evening meal with some of those who were still around from the 2024 VKFF National Get Together.

It was another great night of plenty of amateur radio tales, solving the world’s problems, and lots of laughs.

References.

  1. Dcceew.gov.au. (2023). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2022 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2022 [Accessed 9 Apr. 2025].‌
  2. Leslie James Blake, 1978, Place Names of Victoria.

Hawkestone Bushland Reserve VKFF-5113

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Our next activation for 27th October 2024 was the Hawkestone Bushland Reserve VKFF-5113. The reserve is located about 37 km southeast of Bendigo and about 140 km northwest of Melbourne.

Above:- Map showing the location of the Hawkestone Bushland Reserve. Map c/o Google Maps.

The reserve is located on the southern side of Myrtle Creek between Pattersons Road and Bartys Road.

This is just a small park, being about 1.3 hectares in size. It was established on the 24th day of August 1982. (CAPAD 2022)

This was quite a difficult park to access due to the thick vegetation. Our 20/40/80m dipole was on all sorts of angles with the 80m sections lying on the ground. We ran the Yaesu FT857 and 40 watts.

The bands were alive with park activators from the 2024 VKFF National Get Together at Bendigo. We made a total of 41 Park to Park contacts during the activation.

Marija worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK4AAC/P (VKFF-3727)
  2. VK2VH/P (VKFF-3727)
  3. VK5AYL/P (VKFF-2230)
  4. VK3DL/P (VKFF-0972)
  5. VK2XSE/P (VKFF-5824)
  6. VK3GP/P (VKFF-5824)
  7. VK2KNV/P (VKFF-5824)
  8. VK3WSG
  9. VK1DA/P (VKFF-5436)
  10. VK3TKK/P (VKFF-5437)
  11. VK3PF/P (VKFF-5082)
  12. VK2IO/P (VKFF-3913)
  13. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-3913)
  14. VK3OAK/P (VKFF-5085)
  15. VK3GRK/P (VKFF-3595)
  16. VK3KLI/P (VKFF-5762
  17. VK5ZNC/P (VKFF-2230)
  18. VK2IO/P (VKFF-6071)
  19. VK2GEZ/ (VKFF-6071)
  20. VK3BHR/P (VKFF-0960)
  21. VK3LF/P (VKFF-2446)

I worked the following stations on 40m SSB:-

  1. VK4AAC/P (VKFF-3727)
  2. VK2VH/P (VKFF-3727)
  3. VK5AYL/P (VKFF-2230)
  4. VK3DL/P (VKFF-0972)
  5. VK2XSE/P (VKFF-5824)
  6. VK3GP/P (VKFF-5824)
  7. VK2KNV/P (VKFF-5824)
  8. VK3WSG
  9. VK1DA/P (VKFF-5436)
  10. VK3TKK/P (VKFF-5437)
  11. VK3PF/P (VKFF-5082)
  12. VK5TRM/M
  13. VK2IO/P (VKFF-3913)
  14. VK2GEZ/P (VKFF-3913)
  15. VK3OAK/P (VKFF-5085)
  16. VK3GRK/P (VKFF-3595)
  17. VK3KLI/P (VKFF-5762)
  18. VK3FQSO
  19. VK3CEO
  20. VK5MJ
  21. VK2EXA/P
  22. VK3APJ
  23. VK5HS/M
  24. VK3PWG
  25. VK3TTK
  26. VK5QA/P
  27. VK5ZNC/P (VKFF-2230)
  28. VK3HJW
  29. VK1AO
  30. VK2MET
  31. VK3MGM
  32. VK5FR/M
  33. VK2IO/P (VKFF-6071)
  34. VK2GEZ/ (VKFF-6071)
  35. VK3BHR/P (VKFF-0960)
  36. VK3LF/P (VKFF-2446)
  37. VK2GQR
  38. VK3UCD
  39. VK3YAR
  40. VK7PJM

I worked the following stations on 20m SSB:-

  1. VK4SMA
  2. VK2VW
  3. VK2HFI
  4. VK2AKA
  5. VK2BUG
  6. ZL1HIM
  7. VK3KLI/P (VKFF-5762)

I worked the following stations on 20m FT8:-

  1. VK4EMP
  2. VK4TI
  3. VK4GKO
  4. VK3SPX

I worked the following stations on 40m FT8:-

  1. VK1AO
  2. VK3SQ

References.

  1. Dcceew.gov.au. (2023). Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2022 – DCCEEW. [online] Available at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/land/nrs/science/capad/2022 [Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.‌